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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Jains send notice over N-submarine name

Ashutosh Shukla

Mumbai: Five days after India's first indigenous nuclear submarine was inaugurated, a member of the Jain community has sent a legal notice to the Centre. The notice, addressed to the chief secretary of Union of India on July 27, is sent by Mumbai-based Ashok Bhikamchand Jain.

Ashok Jain said, "The word 'Arihant' reflects all the beliefs of the Jain dharma. It is highly revered and indicates a win over anger, lust, greed, and violence. Non-violence is the essence of our religion and submarine stands for everything it is not." The notice, sent by advocate Mahendra Jain says, "My client takes strong objection to the naming and calls upon you to reconsider the naming for the sake of Jain religion."

The community has decided to put up handbills signed by five senior most monks in every Jain temple. It requests Jains to write to the PM and defence minister. "We have sent requests to the Centre. If the issue is not resolved peacefully however, we will support community members who will move court on it," said Suryodayasagar Suriswarji Maharaj, the senior most monk in Mumbai based in Aadeswar Temple, Walkeshwar.

2 comments:

The word arihant is not confined to the usage by jains only. The literal meaning of the word arihant is one who has defeated all enemies. in jainism the enemies are referred to in a different context. India being a secular country, no word or philosophy in confined to or patented by a particular religion. I am also a jain and respect the philosophy of ahimsa which i believe is the ultimate solution to wars and violence in this world. But it is not completely practical in today's times. These defense equipments like nuclear submarines are required by the country to resist the threats by countries like china. if we don't have any defense against the foreign forces, it costs the country the lives of at least a million soldiers in the battlefield. even simple weapons like guns are required even though they call for violence. and besides, owing to the democratic rule in India, no person can lay charges against the other , for usage of some word which he believes is confined only to his religion.

I agree with Megha. Being as secular country, we should put first our country before religion. Being as Iain I proud that I am Jain but before that we are Indian. We are always surrounded by threat from neighbors. In the past, we are being attacked by so many enemies and what they have done to our community, we all aware of it. Now this is time to get rid of these mistakes.Other one as Megha said, context of Arihant is not different.I feel proud to have the name as Arihant for first Indian Nuclear Submarine.